Messages

[Display]

Looks like I got it working, this is just what I was looking for! Now I have my keyboard button image inserted into my TextWindow GUI, and everything works with the Display command.

Here's my code, does it seem alright ?

Code: ags

dynamic_test = DynamicSprite.CreateFromExistingSprite(6472, true);
    
gMessage_Box.BackgroundGraphic = dynamic_test.Graphic;
    
DrawingSurface* ds = dynamic_test.GetDrawingSurface();
    
// draw stuff
ds.DrawImage(5, 57, 13525);
ds.Release();

Thanks for all the help everyone!

[Room.GetDrawingSurfaceForBackground]

Here's how to draw stuff on a GUI's background:

Thanks, I managed to change the TextWindow background with this! Is there a way to place the DynamicSprite on to the background, like with the Room.GetDrawingSurfaceForBackground command, instead of replacing it?

I'll continue fiddling with these!

Thanks for the answers!

Because my game is almost completed and I'm just doing final touches, I'm looking for the simplest / safest a way that doesn't introduce any new problems. So I'm still figuring which approach to take.

It sounded like the main reason you didn't want to use a GUI was that TextWindow resizes itself to fit the text. Does that mean you're using a decorated TextWindow with a frame and tiled background?

Yes, that's the reason! And yes, I use a TextWindow with custom graphics (8 different corner sprites). Works well and looks nice enough. Little hesitant to use a new module at this point, but I might take a look.

Besides the above methods with the fonts, using DrawingSurface and DynamicSprite, which you paste onto a custom GUI's background (or set as a GUI button's graphic), is a most flexible method

I didn't know I could do this! What command should I use to paste the DynamicSprite to the GUI's background? I only managed to do it in room's background. Would it be possible to to paste it into my TextWindow GUI, it has a background image sprite in the editor. That would be the perfect solution!

Thanks for the tip! Downloaded it, I'll test it tomorrow!

Ok, tested the font edit tool, it's pretty neat and simple to use. But it seems that you can only draw white pixels (or erase them). My keyboard button image that I want to use is small, but made in Photoshop and has several colors and shading. Is it somehow possible to add that image to a font? I'm not very familiar with font editing unfortunately.

Thanks Khris!

That's a clever approach, I would have never thought of it. I'll try it soon and let you know if it works, or if run into problems.

[Display]

Hello!

Is there a way to insert an image into text (more specifically into TextWindow)?
I have a tutorial messages in my game that simply use the Display command. It works well, but I would like to insert an image of a keyboard button into it (rather than use a letter).

I don't want to use a custom GUI for the tutorial messages, because the amount of text changes a lot in them. Display and the TextWindow works well adjusting to the right size. I tried playing around with the Dynamicsprite, but couldn't create the sprite on top of the TextWindow.

So is this possible at all, without using custom GUIs for the messages? Thanks!

[Big news! Dreams in the Witch House has a publisher!]

Big news! Dreams in the Witch House has a publisher!

Bonus Stage Publishing is helping me to finish the game and spread the word. Feels good to share the load!

This means the game will be delayed to early 2023, so that they have time to do their thing. The upside is that DITWH will be more polished and tested when it launches.

Link to the official announcement: https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/1902850/view/3376037401290307161

I'm wondering how will saving work in the game: will it be possible to save at any moment, or does it include some kind of autosaving? The former would be better, it would greatly simplify exploration of possible paths and outcomes.

There's an autosave each morning, but you can also do manual saves. The saving is limited only in very specific situations / locations.

Good to hear that development is going steadily, I can't wait! On the other hand I don't mind you adding more stuff to the game

Thanks! It's easy and fun to add stuff, but to make sure it works in all the possible scenarios can be a pain in the ***!

To me it looks like some kind of resurrection machine. Let's see if I will dare to use it

Maybe the hieroglyph reads from left to right, making it the opposite 

Hi all!

It's been a while since my last update, so to fix this and to celebrate the new, fancy looking site here's something new!



Can you guess what the machine does? And do you dare to use it?

Also, the development is still going steadily on, and if I just stop adding new stuff, the 2022 release is still possible!

Thanks Matti for the comments, great to hear you like the demo! The full game will have a slightly calmer beginning, so it should be a little less stressful.

Also, thanks for the earplug bug report, I'll add it to my fix list (but not sure yet if / when I update the demo).

Will your playthroughs be available for those who couldn't or, for some reason, didn't want to watch them live?

Probably not, I think I'll leave the streaming to professionals! It was kind of fun and exciting though. Always nice to try something completely new.

[Get it on Steam:]

The demo got just updated to version 1.04!

Get it on Steam: https://store.steampowered.com/app/1902850/Dreams_in_the_Witch_House/



There's a couple of really good changes and tweaks based on the early feedback:

- Support for Linux Proton / Wine
- Halved the time progression speed when in real-time. Now one real-time minute is 30 minutes in game
- Stopwatch symbol now shows all the paused situations
- Made a story object in Joe's room easier to spot
- Joe can now have planks for the rat hole
- Starting Math skill now 1.0
- Added 1 portion of food to starting items
- Edited Character Bar descriptions for Coldness and Wetness to be more informative
- Changed Coffee House button text from "Lunch" to "Meal"
- Added a couple of new comments for Walter when interacting with certain items
- New save game slot now empty (no need to delete the previous text)
+ some minor fixes / adjustments

And save games from previous version should work without noticeable problems!

Will there be dead ends in the final game? Maybe if I run out of money and get sick because I ran through the rain or something? 

Because the time is advancing and days pass by even if you just hang around doing nothing, there won't be dead ends as such.  Like if you have missed a puzzle, the game still progresses and new opportunites and dangers arise. I think the only dead end is that you die! 
If you run out of money, you just need to hang on until the next Monday when you get your weekly allowance in the mail. The odd jobs at the lodging house are also meant to act as a backup, if you run out of money. I try to balance the game so that it's ok to struggle a while, and then get back up again.

 

I tried the demo and was impressed by the great animations. However, the gameplay stressed me slightly, as I constantly felt like I was missing something. The atmosphere was very oppressive, you managed that very well!

Thanks for the comment, good to hear you noticed the animations, they take so much time to make!

I think if you got to the ending, you played it well enough! Also, Walter's To-Do List gives a general idea of things that you can do and advance (but not all of them are possible to complete in the demo). I'm now making slight adjustments to the gameplay, to try to make it more approachable to a new player. There is currently one clue in the demo that's too easy to miss, so will fix that as well.

Hi, i've played little with your demo and i've noticed something a bit odd, i'll put it in a spoiler.

Spoiler

If Walter buys a flashlight, he get's a package from his aunt with another flashlight, looking in the inventory, logically now there should be two flashlights, but the one he bought seems to just have been replaced as by magic. Maybe Walter should say a comment so the player knows he drops the old one? "I'd might as well get rid of this flashlight, no idea in using it anymore now". That way the player knows. Just an idea, i'm not sure i would call it a bug, but yeah. Just wanted to let you know! A minor detail

[close]

Good point, thanks for reporting it! The starting item is random, so I forgot that scenario might happen. Need to fix it, easiest solution would be to remove the flashlight from the starting items.

Congrats on the demo release, well done for making it this far. I'm certain everyone who plays it will enjoy it as much as I did.

Thanks, I hope so! Yes, I feel this is an important goal to reach. And great practice for the full release!

Failing your SAN check is the most fun ever in a game of The Call Of Cthulhu if you have the right GM.

Not sure who my GM is in the real life! 

It's so cute that you are terrified. The game is solid and awesome. So get over your fear and embrace the madness that lies beyond it.

Thanks again Mandle for the last minute support. If releasing the full game is 10 x this, I'm not sure if I'm going to make it! 

[DREAMS IN THE WITCH HOUSE DEMO IS OUT NOW]

Dear AGS folks, it's happening: DREAMS IN THE WITCH HOUSE DEMO IS OUT NOW!

Get it in Steam: https://store.steampowered.com/app/1902850/Dreams_in_the_Witch_House/

So happy to finally share (a part of) the game with you! This is my first time releasing a game, so I'm equally excited and terrified right now. But let me know what you think, I'm really curious to hear your comments!

Here's also a new trailer for the demo:

Go and play!